Schools have access to the power to influence positive change and mitigate social issues like VAWG. Students need to be educated on the different forms of VAWG and how they can be safe spaces for each other. When I read the book I quoted above (Emerge by Titilayo Ogunbambi), I told myself; every young person needs to read this book. This is the light to all the hush and silence culture around VAWG in our society. Strengthen the capacity of existing support systems to ensure they cater to some needs of survivors and create a strong referral pathway for services beyond their capacity. I have had the privilege and experience in training relevant stakeholders to become psychosocial support givers to survivors and their families, and I saw the good shift it brought to their interventions. Advocate for policies and implementation across states. By 2022, up to 34 states including the Federal Capital Territory have domesticated the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015, which is aimed at reducing and curbing the cases of violence in the country, including VAWG. This comes from a lot of advocacy effort put in by various stakeholders and it is good to see it happen. We need to ensure stakeholders responsible for the implementation of these laws are held accountable.
Strengthen primary healthcare centres for trauma support. In December 2022, I started a petition on change.org to advocate for mental health services to be provided at Primary healthcare centres. This came from my desire to see that existing structures are maximized to improve access to mental healthcare, even with limited funding. Most communities in Nigeria have health centres but without the necessary skill sets to provide mental health support. Victims and survivors of VAWG in grassroots communities are more likely to access care and support if primary healthcare centres are strengthened and trained to provide trauma and psychosocial support. Empowerment programmes: Two kinds of empowerment programmes will be beneficial, these are: mentoring and skills building. Mentoring young women and girls empowers their minds and opens their eyes to the great possibilities and potentials they can unlock. Privilege allows many to have clear life goals and career paths. However, this is not always the case, especially for girls who are made to understand that their best life ends at 18 or 30, or 40. It is evident that financial barriers put many women at risk, especially of intimate partner violence, and make it harder to leave. By providing skills empowerment, it caters to the financial angle and reduces dependency on others to thrive, which can open doors for other forms of abuse. This also means that the global economy can bloom holistically, with meaningful contributions from women.
June 2023 | Collective Action Magazine Collective Action Magazine
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